Asbestos fiberizer



Oct. 22, 1940.

INVENTOB LEE.C-PHARO ATTORNEYS Get. 22, 1940. Q PHARQ 2,219,077

ASBESTOS FIBERIZER Filed Dec. 1, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I9 4i 38 A INVENTOR LEE.C-PHARO ATTORN Patented Oct. 22, 1940 ASBESTOS FIBERIZER.

Lee C. Pharo, Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada,

assignor to Johnsons Company,-

Mines, Quebec, Canada Thetford Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,153

7 Claims. (CI. 19-65) This invention relates to an apparatus for fiberizing long and short asbestos strands and comprises a plurality of pairs of ribbed rolls by which a moving stream of asbestos is subjected to fiberizing pressure and fiexure.

The object of this invention is to subject the long asbestos strands to fiberizing pressure and fiexure in a manner which will not cause damage to these long strands and to subsequently subject the short asbestos strands to a similar fiberizing pressure and flexure. To this end the rolls of the first pair are provided with large interfitting 1ongitudinal ribs and grooves for flexing those long fibers which pass through the apparatus at right angles to the roll axis while the rolls of the second pair are provided with large interfitting circumferential ribs and grooves for flexing those long fibers which pass through the appara tus parallel to the roll axis. The rolls of certain of the remaining pairs are provided with relatively small interfitting longitudinal ribs and grooves for flexing the shorter fibers which pass through the apparatus at right angles to the roll axis while the rolls of the rest of the remaining pairs are provided with relatively small interfitting circumferential ribs and grooves for flexing the shorter fibers which pass through the apparatus parallel to the roll axis.

A further feature of this invention is in the provision of means for regulating the pressure exerted by the rolls of each pair toavoid injury to the asbestos fibers passing therebetween.

A still further feature of this invention is in the provision of a pair of universal-jointed drive shafts connected to each pair of rolls so as to maintain the rolls in constant parallel relation.

The foregoing and other features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an asbestos fiberizing apparatus designed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus appearing in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the interfitting ribbed portions of the first pair of longitudinally ribbed rolls.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the interfitting ribbed portions of the first pair of circumferentially ribbed rolls.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the interfitting ribbed portions of one of the remaining pairs of longitudinally ribbed rolls.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the interfitting ribbed portions of one of the remaining pairs of circumferentially ribbed rolls.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 designates a frame supported in upright position by base portions 6, said frame carrying a plurality of pairs of rolls indicated at A and B, C and D. I designates an upright support to which the driving mechanism hereinafter described is secured. A top plate or bar 8 is secured to frame 5 and support to hold them in their relative vertical positions.

The rolls 9 and IU of the pair A are provided with large parallel longitudinally extending ribs I I defining large intervening longitudinal grooves I2; said ribs and grooves being transversely curved as shown in Fig. 3. The two rolls 9 and H! are mounted to lie in the same horizontal plane with the ribs H of one roll fitted in the grooves |2 of the companion roll. To this end the roll I0 is journalled in stationary bearings l3 while roll 9 is journalled in sliding bearings l4 working in suitable bearing guides |5 secured to frame 5. Springs l6 are confined between the bearings l4 and suitable spring seats I1 and serve to yieldingly press the roll 9 against the roll I. Adjusting screws l8 are threaded through a cap portion IQ of the bearing guides l5. These screws I! bear against the spring seats l1 and are adjusted to regulate the compression of the springs I6. I To prevent clogging of the grooves l2 rubber strip 42 is fitted in a recess 43 at the bottom of each groove. yond the contour of the groove l2. As the rolls rotate the strips 42 are compressed by the ribs As the ribs leave the grooves the rubber strips, in expanding to theiroriginal condition, act as ejectors to clear the bottom of the grooves of the fibers that might otherwise remain therein.

The rolls 2|] and 2| of the pair B are provided with large equi-spaced annular ribs 22 defining large intervening annular grooves 23; said ribsand grooves extending around the rolls at right angles to the axes thereof and being transversely curved as shown in Fig. 4. These rolls 20 and 2| are also mounted to lie in the same horizontal plane with the ribs 22 of one roll fitted in the grooves 23 of the companion roll. As here shown the mounting of the rolls 20 and 2| is the same as described in connection with the rolls 9 and Ill. The roll 2| is journalled in stationary bearings l3 while roll 20 is joumalled in slide bearings This rubber strip extends slightly be- 5. The roll 20 is pressed toward roll 2| by.

springs l6 confined between bearings I4 and spring seat members I1, the compression of the springs being regulated by suitable adjusting screws |8 through cap portions I9. Rubber strips similar to those provided in the grooves of the rolls 9 and I may also be arranged in the grooves of the rolls 20 and 2| if this is found to be nec essary or desirable. It will be noted that the rolls 20 and 2| of the pair B have been journalled in bearings and held in place by spring and seat members which are numbered the same as those bearings, spring and seat members mentioned in connection with rolls 9 and Ill. The reason for the use of the same numbers is that the bearings, spring and seat members, etc., are identical in each and every set throughout the apparatus.

One end of a universally-jointed shaft 3| is secured to one end of the shaft of roll 9 as indicated at 32. The other end of the universallyjointed shaft 3| is mounted in a housing 33 secured to the support member I and is provided with a spur gear 34 adjacent thereto. This gear 34 meshes with a similar gear 35 fixed to a corresponding universally-jointed shaft 36 which is secured to one end of the companion roll ID. The universally-jointed shaft 36 is mounted in the same housing 33 in alignment with the universally-jointed shaft 3| and adjacent to the support member I. Said shaft 36 extends beyond the housing and is provided at its outer end with a bevelled crown gear 31 meshing with a bevel pinion gear 38 mounted on a vertical shaft 39, which is rotatably driven by suitable power mechanism 40 mounted on top of the plate 8. Brackets 4| secured to support 'I hold the vertical shaft 39 in place.

It will thus be seen that the vertical power driven shaft 39 rotates the roll I0 through the universally-jointed shaft 36 in one direction and drives the roll 9 through the universally-jointed shaft 3| by the combination of the spur gears in the opposite direction. The object of providing the rolls 9 and III with universally-jointed drive shafts is to maintain the two rolls in constant parallel relation with one another.

The rolls 20 and 2| are connected to universally-jointed shafts 3| and 36 and the mechanical structure and operation is identical with the mechanical structure and operation of the rolls 9 and H].

The rolls 9a and Illa. of each set C are provided with relatively small parallel longitudinally extending ribs I la defining relatively small intervening longitudinal grooves l2a; said ribs and grooves being transversely curved as shown in Fig. 5. These rolls 9a and la are likewise mounted to lie in the same horizontal plane with the ribs ||a of one roll fitted in the grooves |2a of the companion roll. The mounting of the rolls 9a and Illa is the same as described in connection with the rolls 9 and Ill. The roll Illa is joumalled in stationary bearings l3 while the roll 9a is journalled in sliding bearings l4 working in bearing guides l secured to frame 5. These rolls 9a and Illa are held together in exactly the same manner as heretofore described in connection with rolls 9 and Ill and rolls 20 and 2|. To prevent clogging of the grooves |2a rubber strips 420 .are fitted in recesses 43a at the bottom of the grooves In for the same purpose as described in connection with rolls 9 and Ill.

The rolls 20a and 2|a. of each pair D are provided with relatively small equi-spaced annular ribs 22a defining relatively small intervening grooves 23a; said ribs and grooves extending around the rolls at right angles to the axes thereof and being transversely curved as shown in Fig. 6. These rolls 20a and 2|a are also mounted to lie in the same horizontal plane with the ribs 22a of one roll fitted in the grooves 23a of the companion roll. The mounting of the rolls 20a and 2|a is also the same as described in connection with rolls 9 and Hi and rolls 20 and 2|.

The rolls of each pair C and D are connected to universally-jointed shafts 3| and 38 and the mechanical structure and operation is identical with the mechanical structure and operation of the rolls 9 and I0.

If desired deflector means 50 may be arranged between the several sets of rolls so that material passing through the nip of one set is guided toward the nip of the next lower set. These defiectors may be supported by the bearing guides or in any other convenient manner. I

In the use of this apparatus a continuous stream of long and short asbestos strands is passed downwardly through the roll base of the first two roll sets A and B and subsequently through the roll base of the alternately arranged roll sets C and D, and is fiberized by pressure and flexure between the ribbed surfaces of opposing rolls. In this connection it will be appreciated that the vertically disposed long asbestos fibers are first subjected to the proper fiexure between the horizontally disposed ribs l of rolls 9 and III while the long horizontally disposed fibers are subjected to similar flexure between the vertical ribs 22 of the rolls 20 and 2 I. By this combination of pressure and fiexure it is possible to open the spicules of crude in a mass of long fibers without damaging the fibers which are already open.

The stream of asbestos strands continues downwardly through the roll base of the two roll sets C and D and the shorter fibers are subjected to similar flexure between these rolls in the same manner as the long fibers. Since the long fibers have already been subjected to proper fiexure by the larger ribs II and 22, their passage through the rolls having the smaller ribs I la and 22a will not result in damage to these fibers.

This apparatus is particularly advantageous to the fiberizing of long and short asbestos strands since the ribs and grooves of the rolls A and B are sufliciently large to enable the long strands to be flexed in a single corrugation while the shorter strands are taken care of in the same manner by the subsequent rolls. If the long asbestos strands were allowed to cover two or more corrugations in their initial flexure stage, the strands would be flexed in two or more directions at the same time. This would be too severe an action on these fibers and would result in damage to them. After they have once been flexed through the larger corrugations they may easily pass through the smaller corrugations of the subsequent set of rolls along with the smaller strands without damaging the fibers. Furthermore, the large corrugations of the rolls A and B bear down on more surface of the revolving roll and this has a tendency to increase the drag or pull on the fiber, thus causing it to enter between the rolls much more rapidly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

. 1. An asbestos fiberizing apparatus comprising cessively on the asbestos during its passage through the apparatus, the companion rolls of one pair presenting large interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the companion rolls of another pair present large interfitting circumferentially extending ribs and grooves, the rolls of certain of the remaining pairs presenting relatively small interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the remaining pairs of rolls present relatively small interfitting circumferentially extending ribs and grooves.

2. An asbestos fiberizing apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of rolls aligned to act successively on the asbestos during its passage through the apparatus, the companion rolls of the first pair presenting large interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the companion rolls of the second pair present large interfitting circumferentlally extending ribs and grooves, the rolls of certain of the remaining pairs presenting relatively small interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the remaining pairs of rolls present relatively small interfitting circumferentially extending ribs and grooves.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein one roll of each pair is yieldingly pressed toward the companion roll.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the various pairs of rolls are spaced one above the other in vertical alignment.

5. An asbestos fiberizing apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of rolls aligned to act successively on the asbestos during its passage through the apparatus, the companion rolls of one pair presenting large interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the companion rolls of another pair present large interfltting circumferentially extending ribs and grooves, the rolls of certain of the remaining pairs presenting relatively small interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the remaining pairs of rolls present relatively small interfitting oircumferentially extending ribs and grooves, and driving means connected to each pair of rolls by universally-jointed shafts.

6. An asbestos fiberiaing apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of rolls aligned to act successively on the asbestos during its passage through the apparatus, the companion rolls of one pair presenting large interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the companion rolls of another pair present large interfitting circumferentially extending ribs and grooves, the rolls of certain of the remaining pairs presenting relatively small interfitting longitudinally extending ribs and grooves while the remaining pairs of rolls present relatively small interfitting circumferentially extending ribs and grooves, and driving means connected to one roll of each pair by a universally-jointed shaft, said driving means transmitting synchronous rotation to the second roll of each pair by means mounted on a universally-jointed shaft connected to said second roll.

'7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which certain of the rolls are provided with compressible groove cleaning elements located in the bottom portion of the grooves formed by the ribs of the rolls.

LEE C. PHARO. 

